Daily Retreat 11/27/06
2006 Nov 27 Mon: Ordinary Weekday
Rv 14: 1-3. 4b-5/ Ps 23(24): 1bc-2. 3-4ab. 5-6/ Lk 21: 1-4
From today’s readings: “I, John, looked and there was the Lamb standing on Mount Zion.... Lord, this is the people that longs to see Your face.... This poor widow put in more than all the rest....”
2 cents rebate
Just two weeks ago, the Sunday Gospel recounted St. Mark’s slightly longer version of the incident of the widow’s mite, the subject of today’s Gospel passage. So, there’s a natural tendency to not take these verses too seriously, since we recently heard the details before. But, then again, we probably all can use a review of the Lord’s lesson on that occasion, because it’s certainly a most valuable lesson to learn for only 2 cents!
There are, of course, many different ways to be generous - not just with our money! But, sometimes, the people who are quite generous in sharing time and talents use that as an excuse to be less generous in sharing monetary treasures. Let’s not let that be true of us! Jesus’ point, quite frankly, is that generosity is not to be measured by how much we give, but by how much we give of all that we could give.
Consider, for example, how much you gave to in bona fide charitable contributions in this past month. With a little extra sacrifice, could you have doubled your donation? If you had made your donation right after the widow in the Gospel, what do you imagine Jesus might have said about your contribution? I don’t know about you, but when I take to heart this bit about the widow’s mite, I am compelled to find the heart to give a mighty bit more!
Rv 14: 1-3. 4b-5/ Ps 23(24): 1bc-2. 3-4ab. 5-6/ Lk 21: 1-4
From today’s readings: “I, John, looked and there was the Lamb standing on Mount Zion.... Lord, this is the people that longs to see Your face.... This poor widow put in more than all the rest....”
2 cents rebate
Just two weeks ago, the Sunday Gospel recounted St. Mark’s slightly longer version of the incident of the widow’s mite, the subject of today’s Gospel passage. So, there’s a natural tendency to not take these verses too seriously, since we recently heard the details before. But, then again, we probably all can use a review of the Lord’s lesson on that occasion, because it’s certainly a most valuable lesson to learn for only 2 cents!
There are, of course, many different ways to be generous - not just with our money! But, sometimes, the people who are quite generous in sharing time and talents use that as an excuse to be less generous in sharing monetary treasures. Let’s not let that be true of us! Jesus’ point, quite frankly, is that generosity is not to be measured by how much we give, but by how much we give of all that we could give.
Consider, for example, how much you gave to in bona fide charitable contributions in this past month. With a little extra sacrifice, could you have doubled your donation? If you had made your donation right after the widow in the Gospel, what do you imagine Jesus might have said about your contribution? I don’t know about you, but when I take to heart this bit about the widow’s mite, I am compelled to find the heart to give a mighty bit more!
posted by FrPitstick | 11/22/2006
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